by
Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Amelette Ronsardelette
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG ENG SPA
Amelette Ronsardelette,
Mignonnelette doucelette,
Treschere hostesse de mon corps,
Tu descens là bas foiblelette,
Pasle, maigrelette, seulette,
Dans le froid Royaume des mors :
Toutesfois simple, sans remors
De meurtre, poison, [ou]1 rancune,
Mesprisant faveurs et tresors
Tant enviez par la commune.
Passant, j'ay dit, suy ta fortune
Ne trouble mon repos, je dors.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Hawley: "et"
Modernized version (used by Ravel):
Amelette Ronsardelette,
Mignonnelette, doucelette,
Trés chére hostesse de mon corps,
Tu descens là-bas, faiblelette,
Pasle, maigrelette, seulette,
Dans le froid royaume des mors;
Toutesfois simple, sans remors
De meurtre, poison, et raucune,
Méprisant faveurs et trésors,
Tant enviez par la commune.
Passant, j'ay dit: suy ta fortune,
Ne trouble mon repos, je dors.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by William Hawley (b. 1950), "Envoy: À son âme", first performed 1997 [ SATB chorus and piano ], from Chansons de Ronsard, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Raymond Moulaert (1875 - 1962), "Ronsard à son âme", 1939 [ medium voice unaccompanied ], from Poèmes de la Vieille France (4e recueil), no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937), "Ronsard à son âme", M. 75 (1923-1924) [ medium voice and piano or orchestra ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Denise Isabelle Roger (b. 1924), "A son âme", 1963, copyright © 1980, first performed 1965 [ medium voice and flute ], from Cinq Mélodies sur des poèmes de Ronsard, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "To his Soul", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Victor Torres) , "Ronsard a su alma", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-10-28
Line count: 12
Word count: 53
Dear little bit of Ronsard
Language: English after the French (Français)
Dear little bit of Ronsard,
Little sweet one, little soft one,
Dearest hostess of my body,
You descend below, so weakly,
So pale, so meager, so lonely,
To the cold kingdom of the dead;
However simple, without remorse
For murder, poison, and bitterness,
Scorning favors and treasures,
So envied by the common man.
Passer-by, as I said: follow your fortune,
Don’t disturb my rest, I'm sleeping.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "Ronsard à son âme" = "Ronsard to his soul"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © by Laura Prichard, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2016-02-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 66